payroll taxes

Marta Russell ap888 at lafn.org
Wed Dec 18 13:23:27 PST 2002



>
>they hurt, badly, and are responsible for the largest bite out of
>paychecks for millions of workers, much bigger than withholding... reich
>has suggested dropping them for
>two years, I think, putting billions into workers' pockets, and into the
>checkbooks of their
>employers as well...both pay into the social security system, in equal
>amounts, which is why many small and moderate sized businesses dislike
>SS...

yes but then the contributions to Social Security and Medicare are what funds our retirement and provides disability insurance. So government funds will be depleted in order to give this money up. Retirement amount is based on how much one pays into Social Security.


>of course, if we have extra money in our pockets, we are likely to spend
>
>it...duh?...and since most of us don't spend money in foreign countries,
>
>at least not very often, and not very directly, such spending would feed
>
>into the national economy...thereby creating sales, which,
>theoretically at least, create jobs...

there is no direct correlation that employers will use this money to hire more workers, much less disabled workers!


>
>if I recall, Reich 's further suggestion was to replace the billions
>taken out of the government coffers by this suspension by getting rid
>of the estate tax gift to the rich, which he suggested would put back in
>roughly the same amount the payroll deduction would take out...

Maybe but the Repugnants would jump on the chance to undo Medicare and SS and leave the estate tax repeal.


>the payroll tax is extremely regressive, and the system needs much more
>than a two year suspension of that tax... making it progressive and
>taxing all income without limits might help...

How else would you fund Social Security and Medicare?

marta -- Marta Russell Los Angeles, CA http://www.disweb.org



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